Artificial ornamental fruit



June 15, 1965 J. BURNBAUM 3,189,508

ART IFI C IAL ORNAMENTAL FRUI I Filed July 25, 1962 wwm United States Patent 3,189,508 ARTIFICIAL ORNAMENTAL FRUIT Jack Bnrnbaum, Newton, Mass., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Bradford Novelty Co., Inc., Boston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed July 23, 1962, Ser. No. 211,607 4 Claims. (Cl. 161-25) This invention relates to an ornamental article such as a representation of a fruit.

One object of my invention is to provide an ornament which has the appearance of a pear or apple or similar fruit, both in general contour and in the stem.

Another object is to provide such an ornament that has a stem device having a natural appearance, and yet including a hook portion whereby the ornament can be hung on the limb of a Christmas tree.

A further object is to provide an artificial calyx member at one extremity of said ornament, giving it the appearance at this point, of a real fruit such as an apple or pear, for instance.

A still further object is to provide such a stem device and calyx member that can easily be attached to the main body of the ornament by a single movement and as easily detached, and yet will remain firmly within the interior of the main body indefinitely.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction and arrangement such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction .disclosed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall Within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of my artificial ornamental fruit.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of a stem device for said ornamental fruit.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of said stem device.

,FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a calyx member for said fruit.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of said calyx member.

As illustrated, my ornament is shown in the shape of a pear, although it could be made in other shapes to simulate an apple, orange, cherry or similar article. It may be made of plastic or other suitable material.

Said ornament has a hollow main body 10 which may be made in one piece. It has a hole 12 at its narrower end that receives part of a stem device 14 which latter is shown having a hook portion 16 connected to a shank 18. A leaf 20 extends to the right from said shank 18 while, from the left of the latter another leaf 22 extends. Said leaves 20 and 22 are artificial, of course, and may be omitted from said stem device 14 if desired.

Said stem device 14 has a wedge port-ion 24 at the end of said shank which preferably is provided with four laterally extending resilient vanes 26 which taper in Width towards the outside end of said wedge portion 24. Said vanes meet at a common point at the outer extremity thereof. Said wedge portion is forced through said hole 12 into said body 10. All parts of said stem device are preferably made integral.

Beyond said wedge portion 24, and spaced as at 30 therefirom, I preferably provide a cover or retainer 28 that extends laterally outward from an intermediate point of said shank 18.

At the opposite or larger end of said body 10 is a hole 32 to receive an artificial calyx member having a shank 33, and a wedge portion 34 similar to said portion 24. This wedge portion 34 enters into said main body 10 through said hole 32 and has four vanes 36 which extend laterally from said shank. They are resilient and taper to a common point, hence said wedge portion 34 can be distorted and forced through said hole 32 when pressure is applied to them. These vanes 36 are similar to vanes 26.

Beyond said wedge portion 34 and spaced therefrom, as at 40, is a retainer or cover 38 that assists in keeping said calyx member in position since it bears against the outside surface of said main body 10.

Both said stem device and said calyx member are made of the same resilient material which may be polyethylene, for instance.

The width of a space 30, or 40, is substantially equal to the thickness of said body 10 surrounding said holes 30 and 40, hence said wedge portions 24 or 34, and said retainers 28 or 38, remain firmly in contact with said main body 10.

What I claim is:

1. An ornamental fruit comprising a hollow, main body having a hole therein, a stem device embodying a shank and a wedge portion extending into said body opposite said hole and having a plurality of triangular-shaped, resil-ient vanes spaced apart and attached to and extending lateral ly from said shank and tapering outwardly to a common point, said vanes normally being of greater width than said hole, the space laterally between one vane and another being greater than the thickness of any of said vanes.

2. An ornamental fruit comprising a hollow, main body having two holes therein, a stem device embodying a shank, and a resilient wedge portion attached to said shank and extending into said body opposite one of said holes embodying a plurality of flap-like vanes spaced apart, a portion of each of which vanes is normally of greater width, and another portion of which is of a lesser width, than said latter hole, a retainer outside of said body, attached to said shank portion, spaced from said wedge portion and being wider than said hole, and a calyxx member embodying a shank, a resilient wedge portion having a plurality of fia-p-like vanes spaced apart, extending laterally from said shank, tapering inwardly in width'to a common point and extending into said body opposite the other of said holes, a retainer outside of said main body, attached to and extending laterally from said shank, and two leaves attached to said shank at a point beyond said Wedge portion and retainer, extending laterally outward from different points of said shank and beyond said vanes.

3. A stem device for an artificial member comprising a shank, a resilient wedge portion embodying a plurality of triangularly-shaped vanes spaced apart and extending laterally (from said shank and tapering in width towards their outside ends, and a resilient retainer attached to said shank, spaced from and of greater width than, said Wedge portion, the space laterally between one of said vanes and another being greater than the'thiokness of any of said vanes. Y r

'4. A, stem device for artificial fruit comprising a shank,

' a resilient wedge portion embodying a plurality of fiap- 5 like vanes spaced apart and extending laterally from said shank and tapering in'width towards their outside ends, a resilient retainer attached to said shank and spaced from said Wedge portion, and two leaves attached to said shank at a point beyond said wedge portion and re- 10 tainer and extending laterally outward from different points of said shank and beyond said vanes.

7 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,719,374 10/55 Paione "16116 2,771,695 '11/56 James 16127 2,826,000 3/58 Fisohmanet al.

2,896,352 7/59 Strauss '16125' ALEXANDER WYMAN, Primary Examiner.

, M. BERGERT, JACOB STEINBERG,

Examiners. 

1. AN ORNAMENTAL FRUIT COMPRISING A HOLLOW, MAIN BODY HAVING A HOLE THEREIN, A STEM DEVICE EMBODYING A SHANK AND A WEDGE PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAID BODY OPPOSITE SAID HOLE AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF TRIANGULAR-SHAPED, RESILIENT VANES SPACED APART AND ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID SHANK AND TAPERING OUTWARDLY TO A COMMON POINT, SAID VANES NORMALLY BEING OF GREATER WIDTH THAN SAID HOLE, THE SPACE LITERALLY BETWEEN ONE VANE AND ANOTHER BEING GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF ANY OF SAID VANES. 